Planning a Bunya Mountains holiday? Here are the ten places you can’t miss
Heading to the Bunya Mountains? Here are the top ten places that you simply can’t miss!
The National Park
Bunya Mountains National Park is an oasis of calm and peace, featuring photogenic rainforest, waterfalls, rock pools and streams, scenic vistas, grasslands, eucalypt forests, the ancient bunya pines and plenty of bird and wildlife to admire. There’s over 40km of walking tracks through the park that allow you to embrace the serenity and beauty of this ancient landscape, and soak up the revitalising and peaceful energy of the rainforest.
Fisher’s Lookout
The perfect spot to see for miles over the surrounding lowlands, Fisher’s Lookout is a must visit place. Here you can orient yourself to the towns and cities encircling the mountain, and drink in the glorious and scenic views. Stay for sunset, and watch the magic of the sunset colours lighting up the sky as the sun sinks below the seemingly endless horizon. Stay a bit longer to see the lights bloom out in the valley, gaze in awe at the millions of stars shining above and see if you can spot an elusive shooting star.
Cedarvale History Cottage
Manned by volunteers from the Natural History Association, Cedarvale provides visitors with the opportunity to learn more about the history of the area. Here you can gain a greater insight into the lives of the timber cutters and their families who used to inhabit the area, as well as uncover plenty of general information about the Bunya Mountains. Cedarvale is open on the Saturdays and Sundays that coincide with market days and long weekends.
The Scenic Circuit
One of the most popular bushwalks, the 4km Scenic Circuit takes you past stunning scenery, breathtaking valley views, rainforest, waterfalls, rock pools and inside a tree. The track passes through dense green rainforest, as well as more open areas, and has everything you need for a wonderful bushwalk. You might even spot the large tadpoles of the great barred frog in some of the ponds and streams along the way. It’s suitable for beginner to more experienced hikers, with picturesque scenery to delight along the entire walk.
Barker Creek Circuit
At 10km, this longer bushwalk is an enjoyable and challenging hike that takes in a number of spectacular waterfalls and plenty of scenic views.
The giant strangler fig
Located on the Scenic Circuit, the giant strangler fig is a local icon. You can actually walk through the middle of the tree, as it has walking platform built right through it. It’s the perfect place for a photo opportunity or a game of hide and seek – kids and adults alike love it!
Bunya Mountains Road during October and November
Why? Because the walk from Fishers Lookout along Bunya Mountains road is aglow with a myriad of fireflies during October and November. It’s a truly magical experience to walk slowly down the road at dusk and marvel at the galaxy of fireflies as they flicker and flash through the gathering darkness.
Russell Park
The incredibly beautiful Russel Park offers 6.5kms of walking tracks through stunning rainforest and past lookouts, waterfalls and plenty of historical timber chutes that are memorials to the history of the area. If you’re lucky, you might be able to spot the magnificent Paradise Rifle Bird in a tree.
Coomba Falls
Not exactly at the Bunya Mountains, but located at nearby Maidenwell, Coomba Falls is an exceptionally beautiful spot to visit. The falls plunge over striking granite cliffs into a deep natural swimming hole that’s the perfect place to cool down on a hot day – particularly as the water is icy for most of the year!
Poppies on the Hill Café
All this activity will give you a great appetite, and there’s no better place to satisfy it than Poppies on the Hill Café. The café provides an extensive menu created from locally sourced ingredients, including the famous bunya nuts. Have a coffee, a snack, or something more substantial. The café can even arrange BBQ packs with everything you need for a great BBQ dinner back at your accommodation. All dietary requirements can be catered for, so come and relax amongst the bunya pines, wallabies and birds and enjoy a delicious meal at Poppies.
For more information on any of these places, visit the Bunya Mountains Accommodation Centre
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